Timepiece-dial



-(-No Model.)

J. .GULVER.

TIMEPIEGE DIAL.

N0 577,573. Patented Feb.23, 1897.

[NYE/V702? 2% .42207'ney I bor 0 extends.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

JOSIAH CULVER, OF DELTA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TiMEPiECE-DIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,573, dated February 23, 1897.

Application filed February 6, 1896. Renewed January 19, 1897. Serial No. 619,816. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosIAn OULvnn, of Delta, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class of time pieces in which the hour-indieatin g characters are exposed in succession through an aperture in the minute-dial, the minutes be ing indicated by a hand in the usual manner; and it consists in the several details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face View of the front or minute dial of my improved clock. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the back or hour dial. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bar, dogs, and eccentric; Fig. 4, a similar but reversed view showing the same parts in their relations to the ratchet-wheel. Fig. 5, a top view of Fig 3; Fig. 6, aside-elevation of the eccentric detached; and Fig. 7 shows amodification.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the respective figures.

A represents a fixed dial scaled to minutes in the ordinary manner. This dial is provided with an aperture to, through which the hour-indicating characters on the back dial B are successively seen.

C represents the minute-hand arbor, and the dial B is mounted to turn freely on this arbor back of the fixed dial A, On the rear face of the dial B a ratchet-wheel b is firmly secured concentric with the arbor C. This ratchet-wheel b has teeth formed on its inner and outer peripheries, as indicated at c and e, whichteeth are oppositely arranged.

D represents a bar pivoted at (Z to a support attached in any suitable manner to the framework of the clock. This bar D is enlarged about midway of its length, and in this enlarged portion a vertical elongated opening F is formed, through which the ar- The opening F is su fficiently large to permit the bar D to have free vertical movement relatively to the arbor 0, Im-

mediately in the rear of the bar D an eccentric E is firmly secured to the arbor O to turn with it, and a lug f, extending rearwardly from the upper end of the enlarged portion of the bar D, rests on the cam-face of the cocentric. On the front face of the bar D is pivoted a dog G, which for convenience will be termed the shifting dog. The pivotal point 9 is near the nose of the dog, and the tail end has, therefore, a tendency to fall, which tendency is, however, limited by the stop-pin g, projecting from the bar D into a recess g formed in the dog. At the opposite end of the bar D, and preferably 011 the pin (Z, is pivoted another dog H, which for convenience will be designated the lockingdog. The nose of this dog normally tends to fall, and in order to limit this movement a pin 7L projects from the bar D through an elongated opening it in the dog. At the same time this opening permits the bar D to have a limited vertical movement independently of the dog H. From the front of the lower end of the enlarged portion of the bar D projects a lug i, which I term the stop-lug. The free end of the bar D preferably inclines downwardly in a slight degree, as shown in Fig. 4:, although this is not essential.

When the parts are assembled in their proper position and assuming the clock to indicate an even hour, for example, two oclock, the several parts of the hour-dial-operating mechanism will occupy the position shown in Fig, 4:. The lug f will occupy its lowest position and be in engagement with the part as of the cam-face of the eccentric E. The nose of the shifting dog G will be in engagement with one of the teeth a on the outer periphery of the ratchet-wheel Z2, and the nose of the locking-dog H in engagement with an opposite tooth e, while the stop-lug i will be in engagement with one of the inner teeth 0 of the ratchet-wheel Z). As the minute-hand arbor revolves the eccentric E will turn with it, and on account of the engagement of the lug f with its cam-face the free end of the bar D will be gradually raised until the minutehand has made a complete revolution, when the lug f will have engaged that part of the cam-face marked 3 from which it will suddenly become disengaged and the bar D will drop and the lug f again engage the part of the cam face marked cc.

During the upward movement of the bar D the lug i will become disengaged from its teeth 0, thereby leaving the hour-dial free to turn in one direction, but the dial is always locked against movement in the opposite di rection by the dog II; also during this upward movement of the bar D the nose of the (log G will ride up the inclined face of the tooth 6 immediately above it, and to permit it to do so the dog will be turned on its pivot and its tail end elevated. Just before the bar D reaches its highest point the nose of the dog will clear the corner of the tooth and the tail end of said dog will fall and thereby carry the nose into engagement with the next tooth. The elongated opening 7t permits the independent movement of the bar D and dog II relatively to each other. .lVhen the bar I) drops, the dog G will cause the hour-dial to revolve, but this revolution will be limited by the lug t' engaging the tooth c, immediately succeeding that from which it was released by the upward movement of the bar. This partial revolution of the hour-dial will also bring a succeeding tooth 6 into engagement with the dog II.

The mechanism and operation heretofore described are applicable to clocks which occupy a vertical position; but in the event of it being desirable to apply my improvements to a clock designed to occupy any position other than vertical it will be necessary to employ springs to give the dogs G II and bar D their return movement instead of letting them act by gravity. Fi g. 7 shows one arrangement of springs, but other arrangements could easily be devised.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a clock, the combination with the fixed dial provided with an aperture, and the minute-hand arbor, of a movable hour-dial revolubly supported on said arbor immediately in the rear of the fixed dial, a ratchet-wheel having inner and outer peripheral teeth secured to the back of the hour-dial concentric with the said arbor, a bar pivoted at one end to a fixed part of the clock-frame and having an elongated opening through which said arbor extends, an eccentric secured to the arbor in rear of the said bar, a lug on the bar engaging the cam-face of the eccentric, shifting and locking dogs pivoted on said bar and engaging the outer teeth of the ratchet-wheel at opposite points,and a stop-lug projecting from said bar to engage the inner teeth of the ratchetwheel, substantially as described.

In a clock, the combination with the fixed dial, the movable hour-dial, the min ute-hand arbor, the eccentric keyed on said arbor, and the ratchet-wheel having in ner and outer peripheral teeth secured to the back of the hour-dial concentric withthe said arbor, of a bar located between the eccentric and the hour-dial and pivoted at one end to a fixed part of the clock-frame, said bar having an enlarged portion in which is an elongated opening through which said arbor extends, a lug projecting rearwardly from the bar and engaging the cam-face of the ecceutric,a stoplug projecting forwardly from the bar and engaging the inner teeth of the ratchet-wheel, alocking-dog pivoted near its tail end on said bar to engage the outer teeth of the ratchetwheel, said dog having an elongated openin through which a pin on the bar projects, for the purpose specified, a shifting dog pivoted near its nose end to said bar to engage the outer teeth of the ratchet-wheel at a point opposite the locking-dog, and a pin on the bar engaging a recess in said shifting dog to limit the movement of its tail end, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my-hand and seal.

JOSIAH GULVER. [L. s]

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. F. RAMSAY, C. O. McCoNKEY. 

